US3831445A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fluid velocity meter
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-05-08
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Granted: 1974-08-27
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Expires: 1992-05-08
Abstract
Abstract This disclosure is related to apparatus described in an earlier patent for mass flow meter apparatus awarded to the present inventor wherein the mass flow of flowing fluids was measured by directly measuring the drift of ionized portions of said fluid. The invention disclosed herein relates in particular to an improvement on said previous Patent in which apparatus is provided to eliminate calibration changes of the previous invention due to changes in mobility of ions of the fluid thereby converting the previous invention into a fluid velocity meter from a mass flow meter.
Inventors
- 👤 E Durbin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 08:00
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01P; G01P13/00; G01P13/02; A; A24; A24D; A24D1/00; G01F; G01F1/00; G01F1/56; G01F1/64; G01P5/00; G01P5/005; G01P5/006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
259 words
Fluid velocity meter apparatus which measures the velocity of fluids passing therethrough comprising: ionizing means located proximate to the path of fluid flow; ion collecting means located proximate to said path of fluid flow opposite to the ionizing means, said ionizing means, in the presence of a fluid, causing a plurality of ions of the fluid to be formed thereabout, the plurality of ions formed thereabout migrating toward the ion collecting means and impinging thereon; power supply means for applying a first voltage polarity to said ionizing means and a second voltage polarity to said ion collecting means; means responsive to the ''''location of the region of impingement of the migrating plurality of ions'''' on the ion collecting means to measure the displacement thereof effected by fluid velocity variation; said power supply means including means for measuring the rate of ion collection by the ion collecting means, wherein the rate of ion formation in the fluid is sufficiently high that the electric field intensity in the space between the ionizing means and the ion collecting means is determined primarily by the ion space charge in the region, and not by the surface charges of the velocity meter; and ion current compensation means for adjusting the measure of the displacement of the location of the region of impingement of the migrating plurality of ions in accordance with said measured rate of ion collection, whereby the adjusted measure of the displacement of the ''''location of the region of impingement of the migrating plurality of ions'''' is representative of the velocity variation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
259 words
Fluid velocity meter apparatus which measures the velocity of fluids passing therethrough comprising: ionizing means located proximate to the path of fluid flow; ion collecting means located proximate to said path of fluid flow opposite to the ionizing means, said ionizing means, in the presence of a fluid, causing a plurality of ions of the fluid to be formed thereabout, the plurality of ions formed thereabout migrating toward the ion collecting means and impinging thereon; power supply means for applying a first voltage polarity to said ionizing means and a second voltage polarity to said ion collecting means; means responsive to the ''''location of the region of impingement of the migrating plurality of ions'''' on the ion collecting means to measure the displacement thereof effected by fluid velocity variation; said power supply means including means for measuring the rate of ion collection by the ion collecting means, wherein the rate of ion formation in the fluid is sufficiently high that the electric field intensity in the space between the ionizing means and the ion collecting means is determined primarily by the ion space charge in the region, and not by the surface charges of the velocity meter; and ion current compensation means for adjusting the measure of the displacement of the location of the region of impingement of the migrating plurality of ions in accordance with said measured rate of ion collection, whereby the adjusted measure of the displacement of the ''''location of the region of impingement of the migrating plurality of ions'''' is representative of the velocity variation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ion collecting means has at least first and second portions, one of said portions being located upstream of the other when fluid flows along said flow path, said first and second portions of said ion collecting means adapted to develop first and second currents respectively when said ionizing means is energized in the presence of a fluid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means responsive to the location of the region of impingement of the migrating plurality of ions includes comparison means and means for equalizing said first and second currents.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for equalizing said currents comprises means to spacially change the apparent position of said ionizing means with relation to said first and second portions of said ion collection menas, wherein the apparent change in position is a measure of fluid velocity variation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
106 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said ion collecting means comprises substrate means having resistive member means mounted thereon, said resistive member means having first and second end terminals, said first portion of said ion collecting means being defined as the resistive portion thereof between the point of impingement on the resistive member of the median ion of the ion cloud surrounding said ionizing means when said ionizing means is energized and said first end terminal and said second portion of said ion collecting means being defined as the resistive portion thereof between said point of impingement of said median ion and said second end terminal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said resistive member comprises a resistance wire wound on said substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said resistive member comprises a resistive layer of material deposited on said substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the area of said first ion collecting portion is increased, and the area of said second ion collecting portion is reduced, with distance downstream from the location of the ionizing means, and where the area of said second ion collecting portion is increased, and the area of said first ion collecting portion is reduced with distance upstream from the location of the ionizing meaNs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said ion collecting means is in the form of a hollow right circular cylinder having said ionizing means mounted therein.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 9, where said ionizing means are one or more coaxial needles within the hollow right circular cylinder collecting means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said ion collecting means is in the form of an open surface having said ionizing means mounted above said surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 11, where said ionizing means are one or more needles.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said power supply means includes means responsive to the measured rate of ion collection for adjusting said first and second voltage polarities to maintain said rate of ion collection on the ion collecting means constant.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3470741A
Cited
US3648517A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-08-26 | 1978-02-25 | 1978-08-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-08-26 | 1982-02-25 | 1982-08-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-08-26 | 1986-02-25 | 1986-08-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |